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J. P.-JOHNSON. GAR COUPLING.

No. 576.851. Patented Feb. 9,1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

JAMES P. JOHNSON, OF VALDOSTA, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO B. F.W'HITTINGTON, OFSAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 576,851, datedFebruary 9, 1897.

Application filed November 13, 1896. Serial No. 611,951. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES P. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Valdosta, in the county of Lowndes and State of 7 Georgia,have invented a new and useful Car- Coupling, of which the following isa specification.

The invention relates to improvements in car-couplings.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofcar-couplings, and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient onecapable of coupling automatically and of being readily uncoupled withoutgoing between cars.

A further object of the invention is to provide a car-coupling whichwill be adapted to couple on curves and which will enable the cars of atrain to be successively started similar to the ordinary pin-and-linkcar-coupling in order to prevent the entire weight of a train beingthrown upon an engine at the same time in ascending a grade or instarting the train.

Another object of the invention is to pro- 1 vide a car-coupling whichwill be adapted for coupling the cars having draw-heads at differentelevations and which will readily receive and guide a link into it andobviate the necessity of guiding the link by hand.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a car-couplingconstructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied to acar, the parts being arranged for automatic coupling. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional view showing two draw-heads uncoupled. Fig. 3 isa detail perspective view of the lower section of the draw-head. Fig. 4is a detail view of the slide.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

l designates a draw-head consisting of a rigid upper section 2, which isformed inte- 5o gral with a shank or draw-bar 3, and a movable lowersection 4, which is hinged to the upper section of the draw-head and.which when the parts are set for automatic coupling, as illustrated inFig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, is adapted to assume an inclinedposition to form a wide mouth to receive a link and guide the same intothe drawhead. The upper section 2 of the draw-head is provided with alongitudinal slot or opening 5, and the adjacent portion of the drawbaror shank 3 is bifurcated to receive an arm 6 of the movable section 4.

The arm 6 extends rearward from the back of the lower section to form aheel, and it extends upward through the opening 5 of the upper section.It is pivoted at the heel by a transverse pin 7, which passes throughthe front end of the shank or draw-bar at the bottom thereof, and whenthe lower section swings downward to an inclined position the arm 6moves forward in the opening 5 of the upper section.

The draw-head is provided with a couplingpin perforation, which extendsthrough the upper and lowersections, and a coupling-pin 8 is supportedin an elevated position for automatic coupling, as shown in Fig. l, by aslide 9, which is arranged in suitable longitudinal ways at the top ofthe draw-head. The ways are formed by a longitudinal recess and groovesarranged at the side walls of the recess, and the slide, which isprovided with a perforation 10 to register with the coupling-pinperforation, is moved outward when the parts are set for automaticcoupling to carry such perforation away from the coupling-pinperforation of the draw-head. The coupling-pin, when in an elevatedposition, is supported by a guide 11, and it rests upon an imperforateportion of the slide. When two draw-heads come together in coupling, theextended slide of one draw-head is engaged by the other draw-head andforced inward, carrying with it the arm 6 of the lower section of thedraw-head, which is swung upward to a horizontal position. Theinner endof the slide is in contact with the arm 6, and when the perforation 1Oregisters with the coupling-pin perforation the pin falls and en gagesthe link.

When the lower section of the draw-head is in an inclined position, itforms a wide mouth and is adapted to receive links of drawheads atdifferent elevations, and when it swings upward or closes it carries thelink with it.

The guide 11 consists of a hollow post which straddles the ways of thedraw-head, and the slide is provided at its front end with anoutwardly-extending flange which abuts against the guide when the lowersection is in a horizontal position.

The ear-coupling is adapted to couple on curves, and it permits thenecessary longitudinal movement of a link to enable the cars of a trainto be successively started, so that the entire weight of a train willnot be thrown on an engine at the same time in starting it or when thetrain is ascending a grade. Should a car become derailed or overturned,the link would twist suffieiently to break the coupling-pin, so that theother cars of a train will not be carried with the derailed car.

It will be seen that the car-coupling is simple and comparativelyinexpensive in construction, that it is strong and durable, and that itis capable of guiding a link into it and of coupling automaticallywithout going between cars.

Vhat I claim is 1, In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-headcomprising a shank or draw-bar, an upper section rigid with the same, ahinged lower section adapted to swing downward to an inclined positionfor guiding a link into the draw-head, and a movable pin-supportengaging the rear portion of the hinged section and adapted to swing thesame upward to its closed position, said pin-support being arranged toproject beyond the draw-head when the parts are set for automaticcoupling and adapted to be engaged and moved inward by anotherdraw-head, whereby the pin is caused to fall and the lower hingedsection of the draw-head is returned to its closed position,substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head comprising a shankor draw-bar, a rigid upper section, a hinged lower section. providedwith an upwardly-extending arm, and a slide mounted on the upper section01: the draw-head, arranged to engage the arm of the lower section andadapted when drawn outward to form a support for a coupling-pin, wherebywhen it is moved inward, the pin will be caused to fall and the lowersection will be returned to its closed position, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head comprising a shankor draw-bar, a rigid upper section having a longitudinal opening andprovided with longitudinal ways, a hinged lower section having anupwardlyextending arm arranged in said opening, a slide mounted in thesaid ways, engaging the said arm and provided with a perforation adaptedto register with the coupling-pin perforation of the draw-head, and aguide,mounted on the draw-head and adapted to receive a coupling-pin,substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES P. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

O. M. SMITH, R. T. MYDDELTON.

